Claretians bury priest, Fr Cyril Ibe

Members of the Claretian Missionaries, East Nigeria Province who were couple of weeks ago thrown into mourning following the news of the demise of their priest brother, Rev. Fr. Cyril Ibe CMF, gathered at their Mother House, Claretian Institute of Philosophy Maryland Nekede Owerri for his final respect, Tuesday March 27.

The funeral rites which started the previous day with Evening Mass at the Congregation’s seat of power, St. Anthony Mary Claret Church, Area ‘A’ World Bank were concluded at the Claretians burial ground Maryland Nekede.

Shortly after the Lying-in-state ritual at the Institute’s Martyrs of Barbastro Chapel, Very Rev. Fr. Simeon Nwobi CMF, Provincial Superior, East Nigeria presided over a concelebrated funeral Mass with over 50 other priests, including those from other religious congregations and dioceses. The deceased’s Ibe family of Amawom in Owerri Municipal Council was accompanied to the funeral not only by their kinsmen and relations but also by their parish priest, Rev Fr. Dr. Cyril Akalonu.

Members of St. Peterclaver Minor Seminary Okpala set of 1995 where Fr. Ibe was said to have nurtured his priestly vocation were also there. Their presence added more emotions to the funeral which recorded emotion-laden orations, tributes and eulogies.

By the time Rev. Fr. Matthew Iwuagwu CMF, Provincial Secretary had mounted the stage to render the Congregation’s funeral oration, the atmospheric nature of the funeral arena was saturated with sense of pains and grief for a priest who died after fighting gallantly to stay alive.

The oration reads in part: The death of a priest is unlike the death of any other. …Since a priest is one who takes on the person of Christ, his leave of us is somewhat of a loss in our very communication with the Lord. No one will ever again exemplify Christ for us in the singular way this particular priest, Fr Cyril Nnodi Ibe has done.

Bringing to the fore the deceased’s family background, the provincial secretary noted that Fr. Cyril was born on September 12, 1977 to the family of late Mr. Joseph Ibe and Mrs.Janet Ibe of Amawom Owerre Nchise, Imo State. And after attending St. Peterclaver Minor Seminary Opkala, he was admitted into the Claretian congregation in the year 2000, where his priestly ordination came up in 2010.

Fr. Matthew who further expressed deep sense of grief over the demise believed that “at a time when the Congregation was basking in the euphoria of health regained, death came and took him away.” He therefore charged those the fallen priest met on the road of priestly work to bear the loss with every sense of equanimity.

Other voices of tributes at the event included family members, classmates, friends as well as students of Claret Secondary School Nekede.

Earlier while preaching at the Mass, Rev Fr. Kinsley Maduike CMF reminded the congregated mourners that death remains a necessary passage which awaits everyone in other to gain eternity. With the Igbo maxim of Onwuameze, the preacher observed that death does not consider ones status, rather “It chooses where it pleases.”

The homily which was anchored on the “Reality of death” enjoined Christians to maintain always closer relationship with God, stressing that such disposition would give them the mantle right to inherit God’s kingdom.